Extract from Jules Verne's The Adventures Of Captain Hatteras; four men, including the captain, have left their brig, frozen in for the winter, to cross the ice fields of the North Pole, with intention to find coal provisions that were left behind on a previous exploration:
All at once, without warning of any kind, a vapour rose from the ground in a complete state of congelation;it reached a height of about 90 feet, and remained stationary; they could not see a foot before them; it clung to their clothing, and bristled it with ice.Our travellers, surprised by the frost-rime, had all the same idea – that of getting near one another. They called out, 'Bell!' 'Simpson!' 'This way, doctor!' 'Where are you, captain?' But no answers were heard; the vapour did not conduct sound. They all fired as a sign of rallying. But if the sound of the voice appeared to week, the detonation of the firearms was too strong, for it was echoed in all directions, and produced a confused rumble without appreciable direction. Each acted then according to his instincts. Hatteras stopped, folded his arms, and waited. Simpson contented himself with stopping his sledge. Bell retraced his steps, feeling the traces with his hands. The doctor ran hither and dither bumping against the icebergs, falling down, getting up, andlosing himself more and more…
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